Boom!
Accompanied by a deafening crash, a tree as thick as a water barrel was snapped in half by Tai Nuo's punch.
Tai Nuo roared, "Boy, are you still going to run?"
Ever since Tai Nuo had his front teeth shattered by a stone thrown by Zuzong, Zuzong had avoided direct confrontation, instead adopting a hit-and-run strategy. The two, Tai Nuo and Zuzong, had been chasing and fleeing, unknowingly ending up deep in the forest.
Sensing their surroundings, Zuzong confirmed that only Zhu Zhuqing and Tai Long were following behind. A sly smile appeared on his face.
Zuzong chuckled, "Oh, nothing really, just that my fighting style can be a bit flashy, and I don't want to make too much noise."
As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed in Zuzong's eyes, and a soft, milky light began to radiate from his body. The Blue Silver Emperor vines coiled around him, and his spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—began to swirl, emitting a dazzling light.
This was Zuzong deliberately altering the color of his spirit rings using the Blue Silver Domain, for the true combination of yellow, purple, purple, and black would have been too shocking.
Tai Nuo snorted. "At such a young age, you've already reached the Soul Ancestor level. No wonder you dared to challenge me. Let's see how strong your martial soul is. Titan Ape, possess!"
With a loud shout, Tai Nuo's body began to grow taller, gaining a full five inches in height. His upper body muscles bulged, bursting through his clothes. His five spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple—shone brightly as they encircled him.
"Boy, you're scared now, aren't you? Surrender, and I'll give you a kick in the rear, shatter your teeth, and hand over that girl to my son. I'm a Level 58 Strength-Type Battle Soul King. Think carefully—if I accidentally break your legs, I won't be held responsible."
Zuzong frowned slightly but showed no fear. So what if his opponent was twelve levels higher? He was eager to see how his current strength would fare. Moreover, even if he couldn't win in a head-on fight, he had illusion techniques and poison at his disposal.
Zuzong calmly replied, "Old ape, if you want to fight, let's fight. Why waste words between men?"
"Good!" Tai Nuo praised. "Though you don't look tough, I like what you said. You're right, this is a fight between men. For that, I'll go a bit easy on you."
"Don't worry. I'll go easy on you too," Zuzong casually said as he moved. He knew better than to engage in close combat with a Strength-Type Soul Master like Tai Nuo, who was renowned for his immense power and defense.
While retreating, Zuzong's Blue Silver Emperor vines shot toward Tai Nuo.
Tai Nuo, a pure strength-type soul master, charged toward Zuzong like a runaway train. The vines slowed him for just a few seconds before they were torn apart.
Zuzong smirked and called out, "First Soul Skill—Entanglement!"
In an instant, the Blue Silver Emperor vines, which had been broken by Tai Nuo, regenerated and wrapped around him again. This time, they were covered in black-scaled armor, exuding a dangerous glow.
Though Tai Nuo was a Level 58 Soul King, he lacked agility, and there was no escaping Zuzong's Poison Dragon Entanglement. In no time, he was tied up like a large, helpless bundle.
"Boy, you think this will hold me?" Tai Nuo roared.
"I never intended for this to hold a Level 58 Strength-Type Soul King. But... Poison Devour."
As Zuzong spoke, purple liquid oozed from the gaps in the scaled armor covering the vines. He didn't use fire poison but rather the corrosive venom of the "Black Scaled Venomous Python." This was just a regular fight, not a life-or-death battle, so there was no need to end his opponent's life.
Even so, the moment the liquid touched Tai Nuo's skin, white smoke rose from the contact points, leaving visible signs of corrosion. However, thanks to his robust Titan Ape martial soul, Tai Nuo's tough skin and high spirit power minimized the damage.
Though the harm was minimal, the humiliation was immense. To be wounded by a mere Soul Ancestor when he was a Soul King—this was unbearable.
Tai Nuo let out a furious roar, "Power Source!"
His third spirit ring, the first of his millennium rings, glowed purple as he activated his more powerful soul skill.
His already massive body seemed to swell further, with veins bulging under his skin like tiny snakes. A vortex of power formed around him, and the air grew heavy.
With a single burst of power, the Blue Silver Emperor vines and their armored scales were shattered. The corrosive venom sprayed everywhere, causing trees, soil, and leaves to hiss and sizzle wherever it landed. Tai Nuo, drenched in the venom, looked even more battered.
His upper body was nearly naked, his clothing torn to shreds, but his pants remained intact—thankfully, since Zhu Zhuqing had arrived. Without her presence, Zuzong might not have spared him even that.
The once-imposing Titan Ape martial spirit now had patches of missing fur, and blood was beginning to seep from the skin where the venom had corroded it.
Tai Nuo was filled with regret. If only he hadn't been so arrogant from the start, he could have broken free of the vines sooner and avoided this humiliation. At least there weren't many people around to witness his disgrace.
Laughing in rage, Tai Nuo growled, "Well, no wonder my son wasn't a match for you. But now, I won't hold back anymore."
"Boy, you've forced my hand. Witness my fourth soul skill—Force Quake!"
Tai Nuo's body arched like a drawn bow, and with the power of his waist and back, he swung both fists downward, aiming for the ground.
A massive shockwave erupted from the point of impact, radiating outward in a wide circle. The ground, already cracked from earlier attacks, collapsed completely. Dirt, sand, and debris flew into the air, and a terrifying force surged upward.
When the dust settled, Zuzong was unscathed, shielded by his "Third Soul Skill—Blue Silver Prison."
The Blue Silver Prison could both trap enemies and protect its user from outside attacks.
Seeing that Zuzong had emerged unhurt, Tai Nuo was furious. He raised his fists again, ready to strike.
But Zuzong didn't move. Instead, he raised two fingers, and his fourth purple spirit ring began to glow.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Blue Silver Flood Dragon!"
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